Can we trade our office offs with someone

[tufguy]

Can we trade our office offs with someone? For example:


John talking to Carter: I have to take a day off tomorrow. I know it was your turn to take a day's leave but I have some work. Can we swap/trade our offs? You can take off when it is my turn to take off for this week.

 

[Amelot]

Not in American English, anyway. We have days off, not offs. We can also swap shifts.

 

[tufguy]

Not in American English, anyway. We have days off, not offs. We can also swap shifts.

So we cannot swap days off. Am I correct? So what can be said instead of this?

 

[Amelot]

I was trying to say that "office offs" is meaningless in my dialect. There is no such thing as an off. We can swap days off.

Not a teacher.

 

[Tarheel]

Whether or not you can trade days off it seems to me to depend on the company. As for that usage, it may very well be OK in Indian English.

 

[tufguy]

I was trying to say that "office offs" is meaningless in my dialect. There is no such thing as an off. We can swap days off.

Not a teacher.

Can we trade our days off with someone? For example:


John talking to Carter: I have to take a day off tomorrow. I know it was your turn to take a day off/leave but I have some work. Can we swap/trade our days off? You can take a day off when it is my turn. Is it correct?

 

[Amelot]

Yes, and either "swap" or "trade" works there. I would expect "swap", I guess.

 

[tufguy]

Yes, and either "swap" or "trade" works there. I would expect "swap", I guess.

But shall I say "day off" or "days off"?

 

[Amelot]

But shall I say "day off" or "days off"?

We are approaching the quicksand, here.

Everything depends on context, which I am sure you know is infinite. Your question is harder than you might think. I would say "Can we swap days off on Tuesday?" even if I only meant one, because there are really two, yours and mine. But I might say "Can we swap a day off next week?", meaning one that we will determine later.